Does The Early Bird Really Get the Job?

You may have landed that job if you interviewed at 9 a.m. this morning. What’s so magical about 9 a.m.? Nothing, really. But if you are a morning person, you are probably the most alert, charming, and energetic at that time of day, and it will come through in the interview. If you can barely drag yourself out of bed before 10 a.m., however, the 9 a.m. interview time slot can sabotage your best efforts to stay awake and put together a coherent sentence.

Everyone has his/her own body clock, ticking away, and that includes you and the interviewer. Your daily schedule is very different from the busy, overworked hiring manager bouncing from meeting to meeting. In addition to her body clock that can influence concentration and energy levels, she has to cope with emergencies, employee problems, clients, budget meetings and anything else the day throws at her. Matching body clocks, energy or stress levels are more important than time of day. When scheduling your next interview, here are five things to consider:

1. What is your best time of day? When are your energy levels high, concentration clear and enthusiasm peaked? If possible, request an appointment at your best time. You can always say you’re not available when you’re at your worst (which is true, because you’ll probably be sleeping!)

2. What’s the traffic like at the time of your appointment? If you get stressed out in traffic or the route between you and the company becomes gridlock after 3 p.m. every day, opt for an early appointment.

3. Look for clues that reveal your interviewer’s best time of day. If he rattles off a list of meetings or appointments in the afternoon, groans, and then suggests he squeeze you in at the end of the day, make your apologies and suggest another time. Matching your peak energy levels may energize the interview as well.

4. To Eat or Not to Eat. If you get a buzz after your morning latte and then crash two hours later, an 11 a.m. interview could be a disaster. A trip to the Olive Garden for the endless pasta bowl may put you to sleep just in time for your 1 p.m. interview. Food and beverages can affect your body chemistry. A growling stomach can be just as distracting as a carbohydrate induced stupor.

5. Never on a Monday (or Friday)? Monday’s at the office are usually catch-up from the last week. On Fridays, people are scrambling to accomplish all those things they didn’t get done during the week. Body clocks side, the normal stress of those days may be a huge distraction and make it difficult to make a positive, lasting impression.

When do you like to schedule an interview and why? Let me know in the comments.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for phillyjobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing Alto II with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at phillyjobs.com and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

10 Tips To Make Your Interview a Success

Interviews can be stressful. Here are 10 tips to be at the top of your game.

So, you finally got the interview for the job of your dreams. Congrats! Now the pressure is on. With the large pool of applicants, just being invited to interview is a huge accomplishment, but making sure that you don't blow the interview can pack on so much additional pressure that you might start to feel your composure slip.

If you are feeling nervous about your interview, keep these 10 tips in mind:

1. 
   
   Be professional and kind to everyone – From the time you leave to go to your interview, be kind and professional to everyone you come across. This means no “road-raging” at the driver who cut you off. Holding the door for the person behind you when entering the building and being nice to the receptionist. You never know, the person you just screamed at from your car might be your interviewer. Plus, it puts you in a professional mindset which makes it easier when you get to the interview.
   
   
   
   


2. 
   
   Eat before your interview – If the interview is going to occur during your usual lunch time or late in the afternoon, go ahead and eat a light meal ahead of time. You don't want to be in a food coma, but at the same time, it's hard to think when you are hungry. Also, having a silence broken by your loud tummy rumble is embarrassing.
   
   
   
   


3. 
   
   Make eye contact – Look everyone in the eye. The receptionist, other applicants and the interviewer. Making eye contact will demonstrate your confidence and professionalism.
   
   
   
   


4. 
   
   Overdress – There is nothing worse than showing up under dressed. Even if you know that the company is a causal workplace, your interview clothes should be nicer than what you would typically wear to work.
   
   
   
   


5. 
   
   Be sure to answer the questions – When interviewers ask open ended questions, it is easy to stammer your way through them because of nerves. The bigger problem comes when you realize after the fact that you never actually answered the question.
   
   
   
   


6. 
   
   Never lie on a resume – It's one thing to spin your information to show yourself in the best light, but never outright lie. It's way too easy for an employer to check and you don't want to ruin your professional reputation and compromise your integrity over something that may not even give you an advantage.
   
   
   
   


7. 
   
   Always ask questions – Asking questions shows that you are interested in finding out more about the job and that you are looking for ways that your skills can be useful to the company.
   
   
   
   


8. 
   
   Ask when they are planning to make a decision – It is perfectly acceptable to ask the interviewer when they are planning to make a hiring decision. This information is important, as it will let you know when you can expect to hear something. Many people say that they think this question is a little pushy, but I think that showing that you are eager for the job is never a bad thing, so long as it's done in moderation.
   
   
   
   


9. 
   
   Send a thank you note every time – Even if you realized during the interview that you don't want the job, or you think that you blew it completely, always send a note to thank the interviewer for their time. It is a professional courtesy, and one that seems to becoming rare these days.
   
   
   
   


10. 
    
    Follow up (but not too much) – During the interview, you should ask when it's appropriate to follow up. Then, after the interview, call and check on the job status. Because you asked about it during the interview, it shouldn't feel too awkward. Just be careful not to be too pushy. Calling other employees from the directory or calling every day will make the interviewer dislike you. If the hiring manager asks you to stop calling or suggest another day that you should call, follow their instruction to the letter.

Interviewing doesn't have to be nerve-wracking. Just remember to relax and let your best self shine through. This is the interviewer's chance to see how you behave in a professional environment and to find out more about what sort of employee you would be. Even if you don't get the job, don't take it personally, consider it practice and keep on with your job search.

What other things do you think should be on this list? Let me know in the comments.

If you are looking for a job in the Philadelphia area, visit PhillyJobs for the best Philadelphia are job listings.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.